Private jet owners barred from govt terminal

The reform of the nation’s aviation sector is gathering momentum. However, the directive by the Federal Government that private jet owners should no longer operate from the international wing of the Lagos airport is unsettling the operators, OYETUNJI ABIOYE writes

The last has not been heard of the Federal Government’s reforms of the aviation sector, particularly in the private and chartered jet sub-sector.

Barely three months after unveiling a new policy for general aviation, which barred private jet owners from carrying their friends and associates, the Federal Government has stopped private jet owners and chartered jet operators from using the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos for foreign travels.

The order, which has taken effect, was conveyed through a memo from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to the heads of all the security agencies operating at the MMIA.

Airport sources told our correspondent on Friday that following the order, some private jet owners and chartered jet operators had stopped travelling through the international wing of the MMIA.

As a result, private jet owners and chartered jet passengers travelling out and coming into the country will not go through the required security screening, including that of the Immigration, Customs, narcotics control and the State Security Service at the MMIA.

The memo, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent, also directed the heads of security agencies to deploy personnel to a privately-owned Fixed Base Operation facility to conduct the necessary checks on the private jet owners and passengers before and after foreign trips.

A FBO facility is a mini terminal or an aviation facility where private jet owners and chartered jet operators can also do fuelling, route planning and dispatching, among others.

However, stakeholders, especially private jet owners and chartered jet operators, have opposed the order, saying the development would lead to higher cost of operations.

The operators claimed that the directive would increase the cost of owning and operating private jets as the use of a private facility instead of the government-owned MMIA before embarking on foreign travels would lead to the escalation of their costs.

Some operators have also accused FAAN of conniving with the operator of the FBO to rip off private jet owners and chartered jet operators.

A chartered jet operator, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said, “I think this is an unfair deal. Why should we all be forced to leave the international terminal to a private facility? This is not best practice any where in the world for the government to force operators to be patronising only one Fixed Base Operation.

“What is wrong with our present arrangement? Is this free to us all or this will be an additional cost to our already strained budget? No consultation whatsoever from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria on this before the implementation. There are so many questions. Is this another ‘food for the boys’ arrangement? This is so unfair.”

However, FAAN has directed the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to clear private jets and charter jets from the private facility.

The directive, it was leant, took effect a few weeks ago, but some industry stakeholders said the development would lead to lax security measures for private and chartered jet passengers.

They said that having to screen high profile passengers, who constituted the bulk of private jet owners and passengers at a private facility instead of the government-owned international terminal, might lead to massive compromise of standard security screening required for international travels.

But FAAN, in its memo to NAMA, said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the owners of the private FBO and that requisite security personnel had been deployed to the facility.

The FAAN memo, dated July 4, 2013, signed by the Regional Manager, Mr. E. A. Olarerin, read, “Commencement of international business and private jets operations through Quits Aviation Centre at the MMIA: This is to inform your good office that FAAN signed an MoU with M/S Quits located in the MMIA to begin processing all business and private jets at the Quits Aviation Centre.

“Already, all relevant security agencies involved in this operation have performed due diligence on the facility and have given it a clean bill of health, and have subsequently deployed their staff to the centre. In view of this, we hereby solicit the cooperation of NAMA to direct all such flight to process at the new facility.”

However, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said there was nothing like barring private and chartered jet operators from the international wing of the MMIA, noting that they were free to operate from there.

But a top official of FAAN, who did not want his name to be mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the Federal Government had cancelled the MoU with the FBO operator due to increasing pressure from various quarters over the development.

He said the private jet owners and chartered jet operators were free to go back and start flying through the international wing of the MMIA.

However, findings by our correspondent revealed that most of the private jet owners were not aware of this development as most of them are still flying through the FBO facility.

Wealthy hot ladies are waiting for you!! Meet them now call via Telephone number (+2347054568330)

Do you need a sugar mummy or daddy? Very rich and caring sugar mummy get connected fast today call via Telephone number (+2347054568330).

De king

You are a mad man…..Omo OLe

Tatafo

And I scream Olee!!!!!

Osa Ogie

Na the job wey you find for yourself be dis?

Amasowa Nehita

What schools of journalism or universities train our current crop of journalists? Who edit these guys? How could a journalist have so mindlessly and unprofessionally mutilated this story? Where was it leading us? Where did it end up leading it’s readers? So much has gone wrong with the fabric across board

ZARKI

Amasowa Nehita , I understand what you are commenting on . Have you stopped to wonder what grade they made in English exams in school or external exams ? But , aren’t you mistaking calling them journalists ? They are simply half baked longhand reporters . The editorial staff of some of these tabloids were promoted from the ranks of ” reporters ” after X years , or even months , in service . I fear for the children who read these dailies and imbibe their standard of English at a young age and grow with it . How can you stomach , even lecturers , saying ” the structure or situation ON GROUND ” instead of ” the structure or situation ON THE GROUND ” They watch the BBC and CNN but don’t listen to pronunciations . It would do them a lot of good if they did .

CASH-LINKS CONSULTS

FOOD-STUFFS EXPORT

Find Out how to be part of the Nigeria’s lucrative Multi-Million naira Foodstuff Market with over 30 exportable Foodstuffs you can Export to Foreign Countries.

The opportunity in export business is massive, not only for those already in the export business, but even for the new comers.

You will be connected with the freight forwarder who will help you send the goods .

The typical Nigerian reporter, particularly from The Punch stable critically exposes the ”twisted deviance of the Media which it tries to masquerade in the guise of public service…distorting Fact to suit its deeply seated prejudices..thereby glaringly underscoring the deviant brilliance of Evil. I sincerely do not get the destination of this story.

Israel

You are the one not know the right thing or appreciating same: GO AND POST ON THE CHAMPION NEWSPAPER: What Punch has published is in perfect order and good journalism: This is a clueless and confused government with confused Ministers and officials, that aviation Minister should not be there in the first instance. THIS IS A PROOF OF HOW CONFUSED THE GOVERNMENT OF GEJ IS AND SURROUNDED BY WICKED COUNCILLOR.

Edumomoh

Sorry Punch; is Oyetunji Abioye on industrial attachment, is he a reporter or journalist? Even reporter can do better than this!!

prince t

As a result, private jet owners and chartered jet passengers travelling out and coming into the country will not go through the required security screening, including that of the Immigration, Customs, narcotics control and the State Security Service at the MMIA.

IF THE ABOVE IS TRUE, THEN WE ARE IN FOR BIG TROUBLE. importatation of cocaine, weapons and so on will florish.

Saying Dtruth

Is the Federal security services {Aviation Securities} checking the movements of these private jet owners?, If they are barred from operating from Murtalah Airport, what of other airports or Federal government don’t have say on those ones?

Legend

Agbero journalists, no doubt, a result of the cancer of nepotism afflicting Nigeria today.

Okadigbi Iheonu Nwabueze

Private jet is a luxury, so any person who has it must pay for its operations. The owners have to contribute and build a small airports like in foreign countries that maintains such luxury

SULAIMAN ADELEKE

if you can afford to own private jets, why will it be difficult to bear the cost of running them?. I hope these steps will go along way to reduce crazy rush for jets by those who have cornered our resources into their private use.

Spokesperson for the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Kabir Marafa, saying his colleagues passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Bukola Saraki’s senate leadership in order to spite President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress leadership.